Shloka 96

Śaineya’s Breakthrough and Reunion with Arjuna (शैनेयस्य समागमः)

Devanagari script

तं॑ विषण्णं रणे दृष्टवा तावका: पुरुषर्षभ । हार्दिक्यं पूजयामासुर्वासांस्यादुधुवुश्च ह,नरश्रेष्ठ! रणक्षेत्रमें शिखण्डीको विषादग्रस्त देख आपके सैनिक कृतवर्माकी प्रशंसा करने और वस्त्र हिलाने लगे

Transliteration

taṁ viṣaṇṇaṁ raṇe dṛṣṭvā tāvakāḥ puruṣarṣabha | hārdikyaṁ pūjayāmāsur vāsāṁsy ādudhuvuś ca ha ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Seeing him dejected on the battlefield, O bull among men, your warriors began to honor Hārdikya (Kṛtavarman) and, in their excitement, waved their garments. The scene reflects how armies seek reassurance and rally around a capable leader when morale falters amid the pressures of war.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विषण्णम्: despondent, dejected
• विषण्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषण्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• तावकाः: your men, your soldiers
• तावकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तावक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुरुषर्षभ: O bull among men
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• हार्दिक्यम्: Hārdikya (Kṛtavarman)
• हार्दिक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हार्दिक्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पूजयामासुः: they honored, they praised
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज्
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic), Third, Plural

• वासांसि: garments, clothes
• वासांसि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस् (वासस्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• आदुधुवुः: they shook, they waved
• Type: Verb
• Root: धू
• Form: Perfect, Third, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ह: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address puruṣarṣabha in Sañjaya’s narration)
• tāvakāḥ (Kaurava troops)
• Hārdikya (Kṛtavarman)
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In the midst of war, collective morale becomes a decisive force: when someone appears shaken, troops instinctively rally around a respected champion. The verse highlights how honor and public acclaim can stabilize a wavering army, even when the ethical stakes of the conflict remain grave.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that, upon seeing a warrior dejected on the battlefield, the Kaurava soldiers respond by celebrating and honoring Kṛtavarman (Hārdikya), waving their garments as a sign of approval and encouragement—an attempt to restore confidence and momentum.